Dr. Dwight Easler delivered a wonderful series of sermons; the Lord used him greatly to encourage our congregation! Here are some highlights of his last sermon from Hebrews 12:1-3 Running the Race with Endurance: 

Introduction:
• How we finish is better than how we begin.
• The race we are in is not a sprint . . . it is a marathon.
• How do we run the race with endurance?

1. When we draw motivation from our spectators:
1. Chapter 11 identifies the cloud of witnesses.
2. We read our Bible and we gain faith.
3. We can run the race of endurance when we stay in the Word.
4. We cannot endure without the Word of God.
2. When we lay aside the weight:
1. “Laying aside” means to throw off violently.
2. We are to lay aside every weight and every sin.
3. Weight is different from sin.
4. (One man wanted to follow Jesus but he wanted to bury his father first. This was weight; the man’s seeking to care for and love his father was no sin . . . it was a weight that prevented him from following Jesus).
5. Weight causes a great hindrance in running the race.
6. These weights are wrong priorities that cause hindrances.
7. Wrong priorities are those things, which may not be sinful, that we put before God.
8. And, of course, we are to throw off violently our sin: hidden and open.
9. We cannot please God when we are living in a state of unrepentant willful sin.
10. So many churches and Christians are weighed down with so much busyness.
11. We live in the generation with the most free time, vacations, and technology; yet we are the busiest generation.
12. We find many ways to stress ourselves out!
13. Many times, we get too busy with church activities . . . yet, in all reality, we need to get back to serving Jesus.
14. Runners train with parachutes . . . nonetheless, they don’t wear them in a race.
3. When we fix our eyes upon Jesus:
1. Jesus is the goal.
2. When you take your eyes off of Jesus, you will begin to digress.
3. Jesus is the Originator of our faith.
4. Jesus appeased the wrath of God for us.
5. He is the Completer of our faith.
6. Why do you focus on Jesus?
         1. He teaches us how to run.
         2. He was more interested in the goal more than suffering.
         3. He saw the joy set before Him.
7. When Jesus was on the cross, He felt what it was like to suffer.
8. Whatever suffering you have, look beyond the present pain and look to heaven (the place where Jesus is).
9. Sports psychologists teach athletes (especially golfers) to visual outcome.
10. May it be your desire to visualize the outcome of your life.
11. Sometimes the road is rocky; sometimes it is smooth; sometimes you will fall!
12. Nevertheless, God will pick you up when you fall.

Last night, Dr. Dwight Easler preached a powerful sermon from Acts 15:35-41 Managing Conflict

Here are some highlights:

35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.(Acts 15:36-41)

Introduction:
• The church should be a place to exemplify the right way of managing conflict.
• The outside world should look to the church to see how conflict should be managed.
• Conflict cannot be avoided.
• Conflict is caused by competing interests; it is seen in this text.
• Sometimes, after our greatest victories, conflicts arise.
• Causes of conflict: transitions, change in family/church, disruptions, disappointments, and difference of opinions, etc.
• Negative results of conflict: [church] split, divorce, pain, etc.
• Avoiding conflict is not possible!
• Here are four ways to manage conflict

1. Recognize the source of conflict: (V35) (reference verse: Acts 15:12)
1. Luke was the most educated of all New Testament writers . . . he was very detailed.
2. Verse 12 shows us the source of conflict in Chapter 15.
Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:12)
3. Barnabas was Paul’s mentor . . . in the beginning, Barnabas was the leader.
4. Yet, V35 shows us that Paul became the leader of the group.
5. Barnabas was a people-person while Paul was a task-driven/get ‘er done-person.
6. John-Mark (Barnabas’ cousin) had abandoned Paul and Barnabas on the mission field.
7. Paul was focused on the mission . . . he did not want to risk John-Mark “bailing out” on them again.
8. Barnabas wanted to give John-Mark a second-chance.
9. Paul’s opinion: Mark is a failure . . .
10. Barnabas’ opinion: Mark needs to be restored . . .
2. Recognize the escalation of the conflict:
1. Paul was extremely stubborn . . . he was insistent that Mark was not going with them!
2. Paul was the type of person to have the last word . . . he was uncompromising in his language.
3. A lot of conflict can be avoided if we drop our stubborn language.
4. Language that always closes doors to managing conflict: “always” and “never”
5. Conflict manager: “Don’t make a big deal out of something that is not a big-deal.”
6. We should try to always avoid a “us and them” attitude.
7. We should always seek a win/win solution (under the ruling of the Holy Scriptures)
3. Know the consequences of conflict/division:
1. Pain of division and divorce far outweighs its benefits.
2. Pain of broken church/family will last a lifetime . . . or even longer!
3. The consequences of conflict is always division:
4. How can you turn a disagreement into a feud?:
         1. Let your own feelings build up . . . until you blow a gasket!
         2. Be as vague as possible in your conversation . . . hoping that someone will “misunderstand”     what you say!
         3. Assume that you are right in every conversation . . . making sure that others know you are right!
         4. Laugh tenaciously at any idea that you disagree with!
4. Find resolution for conflict:
1. Just think of how sad it would have been if Paul and Barnabas’/Mark’s conflict would have never been resolved?
2. We find out at the end of Paul’s life that his conflict with Mark had been resolved!
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.(2 Tim 4:11)
3. We must choose to forgive . . . an act of the will rather than feelings.
4. We must make efforts to encourage those who have failed.
5. “Can we just stop spitting on one another?!” (Miguel Gorbachev)
6. You don’t always have to be right!
7. You don’t always have to speak your mind!
8. We can repent of stubborn issues!
9. We can choose not to allow our arguments not to turn into feuds!
10. We can choose to forgive . . . to restore . . . to be like Paul!
• Conclusion:
     • The question is not, “How to avoid conflict?” but, “How to manage conflict?”

Dr. Dwight Easler (aka pastorinthewoods to the SBCBloggosphere) is the guest preacher for our Spring revival.

(Dr. Dwight Easler & chadwick)

Originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina, he grew up only 4 miles from his wife of 12 years Tabitha R Easler. He was saved when he was 10 years old in Fairview Baptist Church under the ministry of Bill Metters. He accepted the call to preach when he was a teenager and began making plans to attend a college that could train him for teh ministry. He graduated from Gardner Webb Unisversity in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Religion with a minor in History. In July 1995, Dwight and Tabitha moved to Wake Forest, North Carolina to attend Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He graduated in December 1997 with a Masters of Divinity with Biblical Languages. In April 1998 he moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina to pastor Eureka Bapstist Church where he pastored until May 2004. During that time 2 children were born. Seth was born September 17, 1999 and Matthew was born March 25, 2002. In May of 2004 he answered the call to pastor Corinth Baptist Church in Gaffney, South Carolina. During his tenure there God has blessed him with another child Benjamin Easler born November, 24, 2004. He graduated in December 2007 from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry in Leadership and Administration. Dwight is an expository preacher who seeks to equip the Saints for the work of ministry, encourage the church, and call the lost to salvation.

My notes are limited because I was tuned-in to the messages; my soul was fed and encouraged greatly. Here are some of the highlights:

Yesterday morning, Dr. Easler preached from Isaiah 40:25-3, “Three Ways to be Restored by God.

1. We must acknowledge that we have doubted God’s character and power (know experientially God’s sovereignty) (V28).
2. We must accept the truth about ourselves (we are all weak, even on our best days) (V30).
3. We must embrace the promises of God (V31).

Last night, Dr. Easler preached from 1 Kings 19:1-18, “Four Reasons Elijah was Discouraged.”

1. We can be discouraged when our faith is replaced by fear:
   1. One minute, Elijah was experiencing the spectacular on Mt. Carmel, and the next minute, he was running for his life from Jezebel.
   2. Fear causes you to think unclearly (anything that causes you to fear can be your Jezebel).
2. We can be discouraged when we are self-centered: (Elijah became self-centered rather than God-centered):
   1. God still cares . . . even when we are focus on ourselves.(V7)
   2. Notice how many times Elijah mentioned “I.”
   3. “Self-pity can be properly defined by the worship of our ‘wounds.’” (many people cannot move forward in their lives because they focus on past wounds: (I just cannot go to church any more because ’so and so’ hurt my feelings.”)
   4. We become discouraged when we are self-centered.
3. We become discouraged when we expect the spectacular to be the normal:
   1. God was not in the spectacular but in the “still small voice.”
   2. The Lord is with us when we have mountain-top experiences . . . He is also with us when things are silent.
   3. God doesn’t always speak in the speak in the spectacular . . . “He speaks through the quiet routine of obedience.” (This is His prevalent way of speaking.
4. We become discouraged when we forget God’s sovereignty.
   1. Discouragement discredits the work of God.
   2. God said “God and turn,” . . .  “Get up and go!” . . . anoint Hazael . . . anoit Jehu  . . . anoint Elisha! (God was showing Elijah that Elijah was not as important as he thought he was . . . Elijah was not the most important!
   3. God was showing Elijah that he could be replaced!  . . . Elisha would be the one chosen by God to finish what Elijah had started!
   4. No one is irreplaceable! (Dr. Easler stated that if he died on his way back home from the revival services that his church could find another pastor to take his place.)
   5. God is the Supreme Ruler of the Universe.
   6. Elijah thought he was the only obedient servant the Lord had to use.
   7. God corrected Elijah, He basically stated, “Elijah, you are not the only servant I have . . .  there are 7000 more faithful servants that you don’t even know about!
   8. We can serve God on a daily basis by knowing He is in control!
   9. Christian (from Pilgrim’s Progress) carried his burden on his back . . . he carried it until he finally left it at the foot of the cross!
   10. We must leave our burdens and sins, also, at the foot of the cross!

Selah,

chadwick